Peking University, November 11, 2020: In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, a series of activities were held during the fifth China-Africa Youth Festival that ran from October 26 to the 31.

Joseph Olivier Mendo'o, who comes from Cameroon, is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of International Relations at Peking University. Mendo'o, along with 42 African and Chinese youth representatives, recently participated in the China-Africa Youth Roundtable Conference.

The theme of the conference was "China-Africa youth go hand-in-hand to create a new era for China-Africa relations". At the conference, Mendo'o shared the efforts made by PKU Center for African Studies and PKU African Students Association (PUASA) during the pandemic. On October 28, Mendo'o and other youth representatives from China and Africa also discussed and exchanged ideas with Chinese officials. In his capacity as the head of the African youth delegation to China, Mendo'o discussed ways to help African youth better obtain employment, become skilled workers, promote African initiatives, and solve the problems of un-sustainability in China-Africa relations.

Joseph Olivier Mendo'o shares the efforts made by PUASA during the pandemic

From October 28 to 31, the whole team visited Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province. Mendo'o expressed his thanks to the host and organizers of the event on behalf of the African youth delegation in China and shared his appreciation for the visit. He mentioned that the ceramic culture of Jingdezhen, which perfectly presents the charm of Chinese traditional culture, was a highlight of the event’s activities. He hopes that through this platform, Chinese and African youth can understand and communicate with each other and contribute to deepening the Sino-African friendship in the future.

Edited by: Jacob Tomkins, Huang Weijian

Source: Center for African Studies, Peking University